奥巴马父亲节演讲

Hi, everybody. This Father’s Day weekend, I’d like to spend a couple minutes talking about what’s sometimes my hardest, but always my most rewarding job ? being a dad.

各位好！在此父亲节的周末，我愿花几分钟谈谈我有时候最难，但永远是最值的一项工作??当父亲。

I grew up without my father around. He left when I was two years old, and even though my sister and I were lucky enough to have a wonderful mother and caring grandparents to raise us, I felt his absence. And I wonder what my life would have been like had he been a greater presence.

我成长于一个没有父亲的家庭。我两岁时父亲离开了，尽管如此我和姐姐还是挺幸运的，因为我们有一个好妈妈和疼爱我们的姥姥姥爷把我们养大，但我还是感到缺少父爱。我想知道如果他一直在我身边，我的一生会是怎样。

That’s why I’ve tried so hard to be a good dad for my own children. I haven’t always succeeded, of course ? in the past, my job has kept me away from home more often than I liked, and the burden of raising two young girls would sometimes fall too heavily on Michelle.

这就是为什么我下这么大力气做我的孩子们的好父亲。我并不总是成功，当然指在过去，我的工作经常让我不情愿地离开家庭，抚养两个女儿的担子有时候过多地落在了米切尔的肩上。

But between my own experiences growing up, and my ongoing efforts to be the best father I can be, I’ve learned a few things about what our children need most from their parents.

但在我的成长经历和尽我最大可能做一个好父亲的努力之间，我知道了很多最需要父母的什么。

First, they need our time. And more important than the quantity of hours we spend with them is the quality of those hours. Maybe it’s just asking about their day, or talking a walk together, but the smallest moments can have the biggest impact.

首先，他们需要我们的时间。比与他们共度的时间数量更重要的是与他们共度的时间的质量。也许只是问一下他们一天都做了些什么，或一起散散步，但最短的瞬间可能产生最大的影响。

They also need structure, including learning the values of self-discipline and responsibility. Malia and Sasha may live in the White House these days, but Michelle and I still make sure they finish their schoolwork, do their chores, and walk the dog.

他们需要价值体系，包括学习自律和责任的价值观。玛莉儿和萨莎这些天要在白宫生活，但米切尔和我仍坚持她们继续上学，做手工劳动，溜狗。

And above all, children need our unconditional love ? whether they succeed or make mistakes; when life is easy and when life is tough.

最重要的是，孩子们需要我们无条件的爱??不管他们成功还是犯错；生活安逸还是艰难。

And life is tough for a lot of Americans today. More and more kids grow up without a father figure. Others miss a father who’s away serving his country in uniform. And even for those dads who are present in their children’s lives, the recession has taken a harsh toll. If you’re out of a job or struggling to pay the bills, doing whatever it takes to keep the kids healthy, happy and safe can understandably take precedence over all else.

对很多美国人来说今天的生活艰难了。越来越多的孩子们在没有父亲的家庭中长大。还有一些孩子们因为父亲在军队服役而见不到父亲。即使那些父亲们可以和他们的孩子们生活在一起，经济衰退又盘剥了他们。如果你失去了工作或为生活支出而努力，做让孩子们健康、幸福和安全所必须做的一切显然比其它所有事情都重要。

That’s why my administration has offered men who want to be good fathers a little extra support. We’ve boosted community and faith-based groups focused on fatherhood, partnered with businesses to offer opportunities for fathers to spend time with their kids at the bowling alley or ballpark, and worked with military chaplains to help deployed dads connect with their children.

这就是为什么我的政府为想当好父亲的男人们提供一些额外的支持。我们支持社区和出于信仰的团体关爱父亲，与企业合作为父亲们提供机会，让他们有时间陪孩子们到保龄球馆或球场去玩，与随军教士合作帮助服役的父亲们与他们的孩子沟通。

We’re doing this because we all have a stake in forging stronger bonds between fathers and their children. And you can find out more about some of what we’re doing at .

我们正在做这些事因为我们都与建立更加紧密的父子关系息息相关。你可以在网站找到更多关于我们的一些行动的信息。

But we also know that every father has a personal responsibility to do right by our kids as well. All of us can encourage our children to turn off the video games and pick up a book. All of us can pack a healthy lunch for our son, or go outside and play ball with our daughter. And all of us can teach our children the difference between right and wrong, and show them through our own example the value in treating one another as we wish to be treated.

但我们也知道每个父亲都有责任让孩子也做正确的事。我们所有人都应该鼓励孩子关掉视频游戏捧起书本。我们每个人都可以为孩子准备一顿健康午餐，或到户外陪我们的女儿打球。我们都可以教我们的孩子明辨是非，并且以身作则，推己及人地教他们待人接物的准则。

Our kids are pretty smart. They understand that life won’t always be perfect, that sometimes, the road gets rough, that even great parents don’t get everything right.

我们的孩子们非常聪明。他们知道认识不会一帆风顺，有时道路会崎岖不平，伟大的父母也难免犯错。

But more than anything, they just want us to be a part of their lives.

So recently, I took on a second job: assistant coach for Sasha’s basketball team. On Sundays, we’d get the team together to practice, and a couple of times, I’d help coach the games. It was a lot of fun ? even if Sasha rolled her eyes when her dad voiced his displeasure with the refs.

但是最重要的是，他们希望我们成为他们生活的一部分。

所有最近，我又接手了另一份工作，萨莎的篮球队助理教练。星期天，我们集合队伍训练，还有几此，我协助执教几场比赛。此乐何及??即使在萨莎眼睛滴溜溜转着看他爹与裁判们争吵也如此。

But I was so proud watching her run up and down the court, seeing her learn and improve and gain confidence. And I was hopeful that in the years to come, she’d look back on experiences like these as the ones that helped define her as a person ? and as a parent herself.

但我看到她在场上跳起落下、看她学习改进、获得信心时倍感骄傲。我希望在未来的日子里，她回首这样的经历时，认为这些帮助她成为一个人，一个母亲。

In the end, that’s what being a parent is all about ? those precious moments with our children that fill us with pride and excitement for their future; the chances we have to set an example or offer a piece of advice; the opportunities to just be there and show them that we love them.

最后，作为父母的全部就是，让我们充满骄傲和为他们的前途振奋的与他们共度的宝贵时光；亲近他们，让他们知道我们爱他们的机会。

That’s something worth remembering this Father’s Day, and every day.

Thanks, and Happy Father’s Day to all the dads out there. Have a great weekend.

这就是纪念父亲节的意义所在，愿每天都是父亲节。

多谢！祝所有不在场的父亲们节日快乐！周末愉快！